Automatic fire-extinguisher



(No Model.)

A. S. HARRIS.. AUTOMATIC FIRE, EXTINGUISHERL Noyzewso.

Patented Jan." 2, 1883-.

' upon the packing which is seated inside of ALPHoNso s. HARRIS, on'cunnsnA, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC riue-ex'rincu saeu.

S'PECIFI QATION forming part or Letters I Ba.tent No. 239,930, dated January 2, 1883;

' Application and au ust 19,1882. (Nb model.)

To all whom it may concern:

4 of Massachusetts, have invented anew and u'setul Improvement in Automatic FireExtinguishers, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relatesrto that class of tireextinguishers which are airaliged, in fixed positions, and are held inoperative by a plug secured by solder which. meltsat the required temperature. thereby releasing the confined water and rendering the extinguisher operative; and the said invention will hereinafter be fully described, and specifically defined in ,the appended claims.

Figure l a longitudinal section of an exti nguisherembodyi'ng my invention and shown as closed. Fig. 2 is ai'trausverse section taken on line was, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of both the elastic body and metallic facing of my improved packing. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the extinguisher, shown as attached to the'supply-pipe and as'in operation.

In said views, (1. represents the. supply-pipe, or acoupling thereof, which depends from the ceiling or beams of the apartment in which the extinguisher is arranged for use. A threaded sleeve, 1), tormed with an angular collar, 0, for actuating it, is threaded to pipe a, and upon its lower portion is threaded, to move freely, t he angular collar (1, to which the concave-deflector e is secured by, the bars or short rodsf,

of which three are usually em'plo ed.

At the center of deflector e is formed a circular recess, having the circumferential wall 1 g and bottom it. A short tube, t', depends from the latter, the lower portion'whereof is cut through by a series of longitudinal slits, t. A stem, 7', is' arranged to slide freely in tube i,

and at its upper end it is formedwith a chain bered head, having a plate, It, and a circumt'erential rim, 1, which together constitute a cavity or chamber to receive the packing, which is composed of an elastic disk, at, faced with a thin metallic 'disk, 12, which is secured to diskmz by cement or other suitable means.

' The riin lis of such diameter that the lower extremity of the wallet sleeve b will only hear saidrim. V When the extinguisher is to be closed, in order that itmay be in readiness to. act automatically, collar (1 is turned down to the lower part of sleeve b, when stem j is raised until packing a is in contact with the sleeve, when the hollow tapering plug a is inserted in tube 13, as shown in Fig. 1, and is there secured by solder, (which will be melted when the temperature is raised to the determined. point,) after which collar d is turned upward to produce the requisite pressure of the slee'veupon thc'packiug to produce a watertight joint.

When the heat rises to the point at which the solder melts, plug v is ejected by-the force of the water acting upon the packing, when stem' jfalls, and its head and the packing till the central cavity in the deflector e, as shown in Fig. 4.

Upon the upper side ofthe deflector '1 arrange a series of short trough-like studs, which serve as distributers or dividers of the water as it passes outward over the deflector, there being preterablytwice the number of said distributers zin the outerrow, as in the inner rw, (shown at'zfl) said inner ones beingarranged on a radial line passing midway between the outer ones, and said inner ones being arranged with their inner trough-like face nearly vertical, in order that the jets distributed thereby may strike the ceiling nearly over the extinguisher, while the outer ones are arranged at an angle about midway between inner ones and the upper surface of deflector e, in order that the jets therefrom may strike the ceiling midway between the. point where the jets from'tlie inner .distributers and that from the deflector encounter it.

By lacing the elastic packing-disk in with a thin incorrodible' metallic face of about one five-hundredths ,o'f'an inch in thickness all the advantages of a'yielding packing are prethat of the served, while the danger of the adhesion thereof to the valve-seat is avoided; and when the valve is released and falls into the cavity in the deflector its facing nconstitutes, together with the upper surface of the deflector, a continuous metallic face,'on which the escaping water falls and moves, while if the elastic disk m were uncovered. so that the water directly encountered the same, it would move with less facility thereon, as all soft, yielding, .or fibrous tallic facing with materialsofi'er much greater frictional res'ist 5 not unduly yield at anypoint, and thereby cause leakage and consequent damage; and

k by forming'plng '0 hollow or cup-like it'preseats a greater surface to the heated air, and hence the melting of the solder at theintended point in the rise 01 temperatureis rendered more certain, and the invertedbottom of the 1 cup furnished. the requisite hearing or seatforthe valve-stem j,- whllc by forming said plug taperingitcan he, held as securely by the sol-- der, et when once the solder is melted and the ping starts-there is tic-danger of the solder .being againset-by the cooling. action of the first-liberated water, as might be theea'se it the-plug were of uniform diameter.

. 'dering of the meeting surfaces of the tube and plug *0,- and', besides,- said slits serve to render certain the action of the heated air upon, the solder. By forminga central recess in deflect- 0r '0 the head of plungerj is allowed to fall therein, 'and insures a, sn'rt'aceto the'deflector, in'g thereon moves in'a smooth volume instead of-heingbroken. up by an uneven surfaces The ethos and utility of ,the distributers z andz", l have already stated. j By nieansjof the opcnspace between the 'deflectorand fliQYfi] resent at the lower end of sleeve b screw-collard niayat any time'he turned slightly downward, in order. to .deterll3i110\\l.l8tll9l tl]6 w'ater-ways'are in perfect condition and whether there is any adhesionbetween the valve and packing, and whether" tlie entire apparatus is in good working order; and this maylbe'positiyely determined without material or troublesome quantityof water. Attire inner side of the base of the distributeis I form an opening, a, through deflector.

may fall ,th'rohghthesame upon the floor directly beneath the extingnish'er,.which other:-

the water falling.

iwise-might not be wet by from the ceiling after it had,' been delivered there by the extinguisher.

I am aware that itis not new to face an elas t-ic packing-with'a' thin sheet of metal or foil merely to prevent adhesion or the respective enacting parts that it perlorms the double-service of. preventing the adhesion of thepacking when the extinguisher is inoperative,

flectcrwhen operative.-

jin'ea'n's of the adjnstability The slits t in tube i insure the uniform solpractically continuous whereby the water fal'lfl removal of any of the parts or the"esca-pe ot'a hle supporting-collar d,- in order that a snfiicieutquantity of waterwear. Hence I. do notbroadly-claitn the same, in y invention in that behalf consistingin so combining-them'e I and of furnishing e 6e portion of the up'pcr surface or face of the de- Nor; do I broadly claim a deflector connected with thewater- Betwe n b by. small rods f, and so leaving thel remaining space open,as the same-isnot news-i5.

but I am, I believe, the first to so connect the conduit and deflector and with their distance apart adiustable,-aud I am, I believe, the first to combine with a conduit and deflector when so arranged a valve-whose stem is sealed and supported in the deflecton an'd which closes the conduit, and may be vopened and closed by the deflectorfrom the conduit.

.What i claim ist p 1. lneoinbination with deflector 6,-tll6'dl8: tributers arranged thereon and t'ormed'with an inner trough-like face adapted -to receive and deliver the waterin solid jets, substantiallyas specified. V I 1 2.- The combination, with sleeve band dc .fiector 0, formed with a central recess, ofstem j, carrying the packing, composed of an elastic body,'m,- and a thin metallic facing, a, whereby said packing serves to.close said sleeve," and when released tneret'ron said metallic in the distance of facing coacts with tnedeflectorin the delirery of the water, substantially as specified.

tnbe' 0;, arranged to receive the securing-plug 'v; and having the Iong-itudinal'slits t, substa'ntially as specified. $14." In an automatic fire-'extin-guisher the In an automatic fire-extinguisher, the

c0mbination,*with deflectors, of two-series or ro'wsof distribnters arranged not only to de- "liver jets-of water within the line ofdelivery of the deflector, but one within the-other, substantially as'specified.

5. In an automatic fire-extinguisher, the combination, with stem j and its bead orpack- 'ing-snpport','-of the deflector e, formed witl a central recess corresponding with and adapted to receive said head and paekiu g, substantially asspecitied. I 6. Ingan automatic tire-extinguisher, the combination, with deflector c, of the adjustasleeve b, and con necting-rods f, uniting saiddeilecto'r and collar, whereby the space between the-deflector and sleeve is unobstructed, except by saidrods and the valve-stein j, 7. In an automatic fire-extinguisher, the combination ot' deflector c, with its central tube, 5, valve-stem j, with its head and packing arranged in said tubeand deflector, adjustable collar d, arranged on sleeve b, and the rodsf,"

connecting said collar and substantially as specified.

8.- The defl'ectorc, provided with distributers,

and having openings a arranged at the base of the distributors, substantially as specified.

Y ALPHONSO 'S. HARRlS.1

, Witnesses: A

DAV. PORTER,

EUGENE HUMPHREY. 

